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"Infernal Affairs" Becomes "The Departed"

I watched Infernal Affairs last night. I understand there are at least two sequels; I'm not sure I want to watch them because I'm afraid they'll undo the afterglow. I'm also afraid that Martin Scorsese, one of the cinematic greats, might do the same with his Americanized version this fall, The Departed.

I dislike the name change to start with. Infernal has that name because of the quote used right from the get go: "The worst of the Eight Hells is Continuous Hell. It has the meaning of Continuous Suffering. Thus the name." (Nirvana Sutra) Verse 19.

And that is precisely what the movie is about, thus the reference to hell in the title is completely appropriate. The setup is relatively simple: Two young men join the Hong Kong police force. One "washes out" because he's actually been recruited to go undercover with the HK gangs (triads). The other is in reality a gang plant in the police force, assigned to work his way up through the hierarchy for the benefit gang sponsor. The plot of the film is driven by both the police force and the gang discovering that they each have a mole. Thus, the police mole is now searching for the gang mole, and vice versa.

But the humanity of the film is driven by the price each mole is paying. Can the gang mole become a "good" man, actually become a cop and fight for the right? And what is the cost on the police mole, because for ten years he has lived without his real identity? These moments make Infernal Affairs an exceptional film, and are no doubt what drew Scorsese to the subject.

What I love about watching most foreign films is that they aren't made to American expectations. Now, some countries become predictable in their own right. Take French films. The good guy always dies, there's never a happy ending (Luc Besson's work being, for the most part, notable exceptions). The French relish in "tragic" ending, even if they have to contrive one.

But Asian cinema is another matter altogether. Am I giving anything away if I reveal the end of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? If so, your bad because the film's been out for years. Damn near everyone dies at the end, but what really dies are relationships that never quite happened. The film is choked with unrequited love, and just when you think that love is about to be returned...gak, someone dies.

Maybe that's the Asian film tick. Person A loves person B, but B doesn't not love A in return. And just about the time that B realizes he/she loves A, A or B or both die. Damn, sounds like my life (except for the dying part). Fun?

Well, yeah, because they do it with such flair. And somehow it always catches me off guard, though it happens in Crouching Tiger, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers.

It will be interesting to see if Scorsese holds the course.

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